Prior video encoding schemes have incorporated functionality to minimize bit transition, and thus improve the long term DC biasing of video data streams. Commercial applications utilizing Digital Visual Interfaces (hereinafter referred to as “DVI standard”) frequently make significant use of existing VESA Computer Display standards. The sequence of timing and video data for particular display resolutions and timing is specified in the VESA Computer Display Monitor Timing standard, Version 1.0, Revision 0.8 dated Sep. 17, 1998, incorporated herein by reference (hereinafter referred to as “DVI 1.0 specification”). In one such prior scheme used in DVI 1.0, the video encoder encodes video data into 10 bit words. For each word, bits 7:0 are selectively complimented, and bit 8 defines the complimenting method. The encoder considers the DC biasing of bits 8:0, and depending on a computation, bits 7:0 are inverted if inversion improves the long term DC biasing. The encoder then uses bit 9 to indicate the state of inversion, i.e., whether bits 7:0 have been inverted.
Next, the 10 bit words are communicated, and eventually received by a decoder. For each 10 bit word, the decoder considers bit 9 to determine whether the encoder has inverted bits 7:0. If bit 9 indicates that the bits 7:0 have been inverted, then the encoder performs its own inversion of bits 7:0 to recapture the original data. The overall result is a video data stream that is generally more DC balanced.
Third parties have proposed an encoding scheme that similarly encodes data into 10 bit words, but uses one of the 10 bits for audio. One problem with this proposal is that once one of the bits is used for audio, it is difficult to support prior encoding schemes, such as that discussed above, since the decoder uses all 10 bits in such schemes. In other words, this proposal does not support legacy encoding schemes.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional, traditional and proposed approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.